If you like someone's work, the important thing is to be exposed to everything that person has been exposed to. Anyone who wants to be a songwriter should listen to as much folk music as they can, study the form and structure of stuff that has been around for 100 years.
Bob DylanYou might be a rock and roll addict prancing on the stage. You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage.
Bob DylanWell the Lone Ranger and Tonto, they are riding down the line fixing everybody's troubles, everybody except mine.
Bob DylanFrank [Sinatra] sang to you, not at you, like so many pop singers today. Even singers of standards. I never wanted to be a singer that sings at somebody. I've always wanted to sing to somebody. I would have gotten that subliminally from Frank many years ago. Hank Williams did that, too. He sang to you.
Bob Dylan